"Running a Campaign is a Bit Like Writing an Article"

Campaign Executive Lene Hille on the impact of Influencer Marketing on Fashion Journalism, and vice versa.

I have always been interested in the creative industries and never really got the hang of maths and chemistry. Reading, writing and photography, however, I could do for hours every day which shone through in my steps later in life. My generation was the last not to spend our whole childhood with the Internet on our side, and I’m glad I learnt to read from a printed book rather than an iPad. But then again, it’s amazing to see how much society has developed in such a short amount of time.

In second year of university a friend of mine started an online magazine, and shortly after she asked if I wanted to come on-board as the fashion editor which I did and still am doing part time today. Writing, editing and managing the fashion team was perfect for me, mixing both my passions and interests into one role. Here I was able to develop my skills within writing, communication and being a team player, which benefitted my career once university ended.

Influencer marketing has, as we all know, exploded during the last 2 years and turned the media and advertising industry upside down.

When branded posts started popping up on Instagram, no one really knew how to handle it, nor how to run a successful campaign.

As the industry grew, so did my interest in this sector and I started to get in touch with influencers to feature them on Backstage Tales. I created a column called ‘Fashionista of the Month’, where we interviewed a different fashion profile each month with a high following on Instagram. Surprise, surprise - these articles were some of our best read on the site and we have kept going ever since.

Another eye-opener showing that the industry was changing, was during an internship two years ago where I assisted casting several fashion shows. The numbers on Instagram had really started to count and the models were booked dependant on whether they were right for the collection, but also on their Instagram following. Raising brand awareness through Instagram was a major priority through the casting and models with a higher following had a better chance of getting marked as a ‘1st’ for the show. This was new for both the casting director I worked for and the designers’ team.

Many saw ‘influencers and bloggers’ as the new and more approachable form of celebrities.

They were celebrities you could talk to and identify with and they were growing quickly. By the time I finished university, the influencer marketing industry was on the rise and media agencies quickly started to offer their clients this service.

I got my first job in influencer marketing in April last year and started here at Whalar in November. Throughout my time at university, I always thought that I was going to work in journalism, writing, editing articles and designing magazine layouts. When I started here, I quickly noticed that I could adapt my journalistic skills from Backstage Tales and previous internships to Whalar.

Running a campaign is a bit like writing an article.

You start off with a topic and end up telling a story. You source article ideas as you source influencers and evaluate content as you would edit an article. Whalar allows me to liberate my creative voice, through running campaigns for brands, working with content creators and now I’m even back to old habits - writing articles!